Windows sdclt.exe Spawned with High Integrity (Possible UAC Bypass)

Alerts on sdclt.exe launching as High integrity, indicating possible elevated execution consistent with UAC bypass attempts.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v1

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2026-07-30

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Defense Evasion
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags process creation events where sdclt.exe is started with a High integrity level. Attackers may use elevated execution paths to bypass user access controls and gain higher privileges without prompting. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry that includes the process image name and integrity level.

Reporting behind it

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Windows sdclt.exe Spawned with High Integrity (Possible UAC Bypass)

Pivot detection · T1548.002 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

windows-sdclt-exe-spawned-with-high-integrity-possible-uac-bypass-40f9af16

title: Windows sdclt.exe Spawned with High Integrity (Possible UAC Bypass)
id: b099bc67-8e33-4653-8cdf-e2b161de3436
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation events where sdclt.exe is started with a High integrity level. Attackers may use elevated execution paths to bypass user access controls and gain higher privileges without prompting. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry that includes the process image name and integrity level.
references:
  - https://github.com/OTRF/detection-hackathon-apt29/issues/6
  - https://github.com/OTRF/ThreatHunter-Playbook/blob/2d4257f630f4c9770f78d0c1df059f891ffc3fec/docs/evals/apt29/detections/3.B.2_C36B49B5-DF58-4A34-9FE9-56189B9DEFEA.md
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_uac_bypass_sdclt.yml
author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research), Huntrule Team
date: 2020-05-02
modified: 2024-12-01
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1548.002
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith: sdclt.exe
    IntegrityLevel:
      - High
      - S-1-16-12288
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 40f9af16-589d-4984-b78d-8c2aec023197
    type: derived

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